Who runs it
The city council passes ordinances, adopts the budget and sets the city’s property tax.
- Chad BallHubbard City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Lance BelowHubbard Mayor · elected November 4, 2025
- Levi BahrHubbard City Council At-Large · elected November 4, 2025
- Adan ReischauerHubbard City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Mitchell PaxtonHubbard City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
- Tracey RieksHubbard City Council At-Large · elected November 7, 2023
Officials are worked out from election results: every member whose four-year term is still running, plus appointments and titles Iowa Funnel has been told about. A resignation may not show yet.
Meetings and agendas
What the council is deciding: each agenda, the resolutions and ordinances on it, and a plain-language summary.
Iowa Funnel doesn’t read this city’s agendas yet. Every council and board posts its agenda at least 24 hours before it meets.
Property taxes
How the bill is collected · What each levy is for
Who gets a property owner’s tax bill in Hubbard
Homes and businesses in most of Hubbard pay a combined $35.81 per $1,000 of taxable value (FY27). They pay it all to the Hardin County treasurer, who passes each government its share; the city sets and gets only its own piece, $12.30. Estimate your bill.
- Hubbard-Radcliffe schools$12.8336%
- City of Hubbard$12.3034%
- Hardin County$8.2623%
- Iowa Valley Community College$1.705%
- Hardin County Assessor$0.481%
- Hardin County Extension (ISU Extension and Outreach)$0.24<1%
Rates over time
Per $1,000 of taxable value: the typical combined rate people in Hubbard pay, and the city government’s own piece of it.
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $33.57 | $11.20 |
| FY21 | $35.37 | $11.72 |
| FY22 | $35.65 | $11.51 |
| FY23 | $38.24 | $14.84 |
| FY24 | $38.54 | $15.43 |
| FY25 | $39.22 | $15.90 |
| FY26 | $38.06 | $13.86 |
| FY27 | $35.81 | $12.30 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Combined | City’s own |
|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $33.57 | $11.20 |
| FY21 | $35.37 | $11.72 |
| FY22 | $35.65 | $11.51 |
| FY23 | $38.24 | $14.84 |
| FY24 | $38.54 | $15.43 |
| FY25 | $39.22 | $15.90 |
| FY26 | $38.06 | $13.86 |
| FY27 | $35.81 | $12.30 |
Compared with places this size3
Hubbard’s city property tax rate of $12.30 per $1,000 is the 77th lowest of 184 Iowa cities with 570–1,300 people. The middle of the group is $12.86.
See all 184
| # | Place | Rate per $1,000 | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elkader | $27.11 | 1,192 |
| 2 | Exira | $24.81 | 766 |
| 3 | Laurens | $24.16 | 1,253 |
| 4 | Dayton | $22.51 | 766 |
| 5 | Correctionville | $19.84 | 759 |
| 6 | Villisca | $19.74 | 1,106 |
| 7 | Allison | $19.06 | 937 |
| 8 | Dumont | $19.04 | 614 |
| 9 | Seymour | $18.78 | 646 |
| 10 | Dexter | $18.69 | 631 |
| 11 | Fonda | $18.52 | 636 |
| 12 | Kanawha | $18.11 | 638 |
| 13 | Greene | $17.91 | 971 |
| 14 | Alden | $17.90 | 738 |
| 15 | Lansing | $17.67 | 959 |
| 16 | Strawberry Point | $17.58 | 1,141 |
| 17 | Rockwell | $17.54 | 1,044 |
| 18 | Walnut | $17.46 | 728 |
| 19 | Murray | $17.44 | 609 |
| 20 | Gowrie | $17.17 | 943 |
| 21 | Colo | $17.14 | 856 |
| 22 | Mapleton | $16.90 | 1,114 |
| 23 | George | $16.89 | 1,106 |
| 24 | Fayette | $16.85 | 1,193 |
| 25 | Adair | $16.84 | 792 |
| 26 | Eddyville | $16.82 | 965 |
| 27 | Elk Horn | $16.78 | 631 |
| 28 | Oxford | $16.70 | 715 |
| 29 | Buffalo Center | $16.58 | 839 |
| 30 | Bancroft | $16.52 | 677 |
| 31 | Eldon | $16.42 | 788 |
| 32 | Early | $16.35 | 571 |
| 33 | Aplington | $16.34 | 1,088 |
| 34 | Panora | $16.14 | 1,096 |
| 35 | Mechanicsville | $16.12 | 974 |
| 36 | Armstrong | $15.87 | 847 |
| 37 | Ruthven | $15.84 | 710 |
| 38 | Minden | $15.77 | 581 |
| 39 | Walker | $15.74 | 671 |
| 40 | Newell | $15.49 | 850 |
| 41 | Riceville | $15.31 | 807 |
| 42 | Neola | $15.30 | 917 |
| 43 | Sidney | $15.19 | 1,048 |
| 44 | Gilbertville | $15.15 | 792 |
| 45 | Stanwood | $15.12 | 612 |
| 46 | Stratford | $15.03 | 688 |
| 47 | Griswold | $15.01 | 975 |
| 48 | Readlyn | $14.99 | 857 |
| 49 | Tripoli | $14.99 | 1,208 |
| 50 | Hopkinton | $14.79 | 622 |
| 51 | Essex | $14.76 | 721 |
| 52 | Dunlap | $14.56 | 1,030 |
| 53 | Garnavillo | $14.52 | 751 |
| 54 | Maxwell | $14.50 | 862 |
| 55 | Clermont | $14.30 | 571 |
| 56 | Moulton | $14.25 | 596 |
| 57 | Mcgregor | $14.20 | 725 |
| 58 | Olin | $14.19 | 652 |
| 59 | Primghar | $14.18 | 893 |
| 60 | Sheffield | $14.16 | 1,123 |
| 61 | Elgin | $14.05 | 676 |
| 62 | Ossian | $13.88 | 777 |
| 63 | Alton | $13.87 | 1,248 |
| 64 | Redfield | $13.73 | 719 |
| 65 | Victor | $13.72 | 852 |
| 66 | Edgewood | $13.64 | 908 |
| 67 | Sioux Rapids | $13.63 | 722 |
| 68 | Donnellson | $13.63 | 859 |
| 69 | Gladbrook | $13.58 | 775 |
| 70 | Clarksville | $13.53 | 1,238 |
| 71 | Rockford | $13.52 | 722 |
| 72 | Janesville | $13.43 | 1,052 |
| 73 | Glidden | $13.43 | 1,140 |
| 74 | Calmar | $13.39 | 1,100 |
| 75 | Boyden | $13.39 | 694 |
| 76 | Baxter | $13.32 | 983 |
| 77 | Manly | $13.29 | 1,233 |
| 78 | Anita | $13.28 | 953 |
| 79 | Van Horne | $13.27 | 768 |
| 80 | Conrad | $13.23 | 1,098 |
| 81 | Springville | $13.22 | 1,161 |
| 82 | Keota | $13.21 | 888 |
| 83 | Shellsburg | $13.20 | 987 |
| 84 | De Soto | $13.18 | 937 |
| 85 | Quasqueton | $13.12 | 587 |
| 86 | Farmington | $13.10 | 583 |
| 87 | Treynor | $13.03 | 1,104 |
| 88 | Odebolt | $13.00 | 967 |
| 89 | Coggon | $12.99 | 691 |
| 90 | Earlville | $12.90 | 713 |
| 91 | Brighton | $12.88 | 592 |
| 92 | Danville | $12.87 | 910 |
| 93 | Underwood | $12.85 | 973 |
| 94 | New Sharon | $12.80 | 1,249 |
| 95 | Malvern | $12.79 | 1,056 |
| 96 | Montrose | $12.78 | 734 |
| 97 | Goldfield | $12.73 | 617 |
| 98 | Wellsburg | $12.68 | 709 |
| 99 | Buffalo | $12.68 | 1,163 |
| 100 | Stanton | $12.62 | 664 |
| 101 | Hospers | $12.58 | 703 |
| 102 | Everly | $12.51 | 570 |
| 103 | Hazleton | $12.48 | 711 |
| 104 | West Point | $12.39 | 903 |
| 105 | Hinton | $12.38 | 959 |
| 106 | Preston | $12.38 | 940 |
| 107 | Alburnett | $12.30 | 672 |
| 108 | Hubbard | $12.30 | 837 |
| 109 | Moravia | $12.27 | 625 |
| 110 | Hedrick | $12.22 | 717 |
| 111 | Carson | $12.22 | 772 |
| 112 | Wheatland | $12.18 | 765 |
| 113 | Schaller | $12.14 | 702 |
| 114 | Winfield | $12.04 | 1,006 |
| 115 | Elkhart | $12.00 | 1,079 |
| 116 | Afton | $11.96 | 864 |
| 117 | Lowden | $11.93 | 767 |
| 118 | Tabor | $11.88 | 983 |
| 119 | Albert City | $11.88 | 627 |
| 120 | Aurelia | $11.84 | 970 |
| 121 | Merrill | $11.64 | 713 |
| 122 | Morning Sun | $11.50 | 702 |
| 123 | Battle Creek | $11.49 | 683 |
| 124 | Wall Lake | $11.43 | 739 |
| 125 | West Bend | $11.42 | 770 |
| 126 | Dakota City | $11.39 | 764 |
| 127 | Marcus | $11.31 | 1,069 |
| 128 | Dunkerton | $11.30 | 840 |
| 129 | Sutherland | $11.25 | 628 |
| 130 | Arcadia | $11.23 | 588 |
| 131 | Whiting | $11.21 | 725 |
| 132 | Melcher-Dallas | $11.21 | 1,193 |
| 133 | Shelby | $11.17 | 730 |
| 134 | University Heights | $11.12 | 1,188 |
| 135 | Blairstown | $11.04 | 705 |
| 136 | Manilla | $11.01 | 756 |
| 137 | Hamburg | $10.95 | 863 |
| 138 | Clarence | $10.94 | 991 |
| 139 | Ireton | $10.93 | 571 |
| 140 | Fontanelle | $10.88 | 684 |
| 141 | Grand Mound | $10.78 | 608 |
| 142 | Cambridge | $10.53 | 844 |
| 143 | Swisher | $10.39 | 909 |
| 144 | Schleswig | $10.39 | 820 |
| 145 | Melbourne | $10.38 | 771 |
| 146 | Elk Run Heights | $10.33 | 1,061 |
| 147 | Fredericksburg | $10.27 | 983 |
| 148 | Lake Park | $10.25 | 1,155 |
| 149 | Ventura | $10.22 | 701 |
| 150 | Inwood | $10.22 | 962 |
| 151 | Milo | $10.20 | 762 |
| 152 | Hartford | $10.16 | 729 |
| 153 | Central City | $10.01 | 1,254 |
| 154 | What Cheer | $10.01 | 595 |
| 155 | Newhall | $9.99 | 887 |
| 156 | Graettinger | $9.81 | 810 |
| 157 | Doon | $9.78 | 640 |
| 158 | Long Grove | $9.59 | 849 |
| 159 | Lake View | $9.39 | 1,120 |
| 160 | Paullina | $9.21 | 979 |
| 161 | Fairbank | $9.00 | 1,133 |
| 162 | Winthrop | $8.94 | 814 |
| 163 | Crescent | $8.72 | 626 |
| 164 | Keosauqua | $8.58 | 944 |
| 165 | Grand Junction | $8.57 | 715 |
| 166 | Princeton | $8.24 | 917 |
| 167 | Kellogg | $8.10 | 597 |
| 168 | Lakeside | $8.10 | 695 |
| 169 | Riverside | $8.02 | 1,063 |
| 170 | Agency | $7.94 | 623 |
| 171 | Hills | $7.94 | 911 |
| 172 | Fremont | $7.86 | 688 |
| 173 | Larchwood | $7.52 | 954 |
| 174 | North English | $7.49 | 1,030 |
| 175 | Sloan | $7.49 | 1,078 |
| 176 | Sully | $7.41 | 891 |
| 177 | Fruitland | $7.21 | 928 |
| 178 | Lawton | $7.10 | 949 |
| 179 | Wayland | $7.07 | 935 |
| 180 | Raymond | $6.85 | 754 |
| 181 | Keystone | $6.80 | 616 |
| 182 | Shueyville | $6.79 | 725 |
| 183 | Arnolds Park | $4.95 | 1,214 |
| 184 | Okoboji | $3.83 | 729 |
The $8.10 limit
Hubbard’s general levy is $7.89 per $1,000 of taxable value in FY27, $0.21 below the limit.4 549 of 934 Iowa cities have a higher general levy. All cities.
FY23 $8.10 · FY24 $8.10 · FY25 $8.37 · FY26 $8.13 · FY27 $7.89 (before FY25, the general levy alone)
Outside the limit: $4.41 more5
- Total Employee Benefit Levies$1.84 · $58,146
- Liability, property & self insurance costs$1.53 · $48,414
- Debt Service Levy$1.04 · $37,180
Tax increment financing (TIF)
$4.1M of taxable value in Hubbard is in TIF districts’ increment (11% of the city’s taxable value), 2025 valuations, taxed in FY27.6 It budgeted $98,000 in TIF revenue for FY25.
What that value would raise at each government’s rate, FY277
Taxes on TIF value go to the city’s TIF fund instead of the governments that levy them, including about $46,607 of the city’s own.
The city’s levies, FY27
What the city raises from each levy. The general levy is capped by state law; the others are set aside for one purpose.
Budget and spending
Where each dollar of Hubbard’s budget goes, FY26
Planned spending from all funds, including city-run utilities like water and sewer (“business type”), which some cities run and others don’t. Transfers between funds are left out. “Cities this size” is the average for the 183 Iowa cities closest in size (570–1,300 people).
| Where it goes | Of each dollar | Cities this size (183) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Type / Enterprise | 34¢ | 40¢ |
| Public Works | 21¢ | 16¢ |
| Culture and Recreation | 13¢ | 9¢ |
| General Government | 9¢ | 9¢ |
| Public Safety | 9¢ | 10¢ |
| Everything else | 14¢ | 17¢ |
Planned spending, FY27
All funds: property taxes, utility and other fees, state and federal money. “Business type” is city-run utilities and enterprises like water or sewer.
The state’s FY27 file doesn’t include business type / enterprise yet ($536,300 in FY26), so this total is low.
Budget compared with what it spent, FY23
| Function | Budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | $229,785 | $221,989 |
| Public Safety | $138,270 | $107,979 |
| Health and Social Services | $4,800 | $4,770 |
| General Government | $85,672 | $86,066 |
| Debt Service | $95,968 | $92,004 |
| Culture and Recreation | $131,892 | $134,667 |
| Community and Economic Development | $17,300 | $17,342 |
| Capital Projects | $2.9M | $3.0M |
| Business Type / Enterprise | $471,699 | $484,433 |
What it spent each year
FY24 left out8
Debt, reserves and audits
How local debt works · What an audit tells you
What Hubbard owes
$2.9M at June 30, 2026: $3,319 per resident. 248th most per resident of 939 Iowa places of its kind (the list).9
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2.9M | $3,319 |
| 2025 | $3.2M | $3,698 |
| 2024 | $3.5M | $4,064 |
| 2023 | $3.8M | $4,391 |
| 2022 | $2.3M | $2,645 |
| 2021 | $2.3M | $2,621 |
| 2020 | $2.4M | $2,836 |
| 2019 | $2.1M | $2,429 |
| 2018 | $2.3M | $2,697 |
| 2017 | $1.7M | $1,991 |
| 2016 | $1.8M | $2,147 |
| 2015 | $2.0M | $2,298 |
| 2014 | $2.1M | $2,444 |
| 2013 | $2.2M | $2,586 |
| 2012 | $2.3M | $2,722 |
| 2011 | $3.0M | $3,436 |
| 2010 | $2.6M | $3,074 |
Show the numbers
| June 30 | Owed | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2.9M | $3,319 |
| 2025 | $3.2M | $3,698 |
| 2024 | $3.5M | $4,064 |
| 2023 | $3.8M | $4,391 |
| 2022 | $2.3M | $2,645 |
| 2021 | $2.3M | $2,621 |
| 2020 | $2.4M | $2,836 |
| 2019 | $2.1M | $2,429 |
| 2018 | $2.3M | $2,697 |
| 2017 | $1.7M | $1,991 |
| 2016 | $1.8M | $2,147 |
| 2015 | $2.0M | $2,298 |
| 2014 | $2.1M | $2,444 |
| 2013 | $2.2M | $2,586 |
| 2012 | $2.3M | $2,722 |
| 2011 | $3.0M | $3,436 |
| 2010 | $2.6M | $3,074 |
Up 8% since 2010.
The 5% limit10
General obligation debt is $1.5M, 53% of the limit of about $2.8M (5% of $56.9M, the full value of its taxable property in 2024).
8 obligations at June 30, 2026
| Kind | For | Paid off by | Owed |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Obligation | New swimming pool and facilities | 2042 | $1.5M |
| Revenue Bonds | Sanitary Sewer Reconstruction/Lining Project | 2037 | $457,000 |
| Revenue Bonds | Phase 2 Sewer Lining/Reconstruction Project | 2039 | $353,000 |
| Revenue Bonds | Phase 3 Sewer Lining/Reconstruction Project | 2041 | $232,000 |
| Revenue Bonds | Water Improvement Project-new water tower & new water mains along chestnut & iowa street | 2029 | $156,000 |
| Revenue Bonds | old water system detected arsenic slightly above limits so a new treatment system was added and new wells. | 2030 | $93,000 |
| Revenue Bonds | addition of 2 new lagoon cells | 2027 | $52,000 |
| Loans | Hardin County loan for swimming pool | 2028 | $11,000 |
General obligation bonds are repaid from property taxes; revenue bonds and loans from the fees or revenue they’re tied to. On the Treasurer’s site
Money in reserve
The state’s budget files don’t include cities’ fund balances11. Hubbard’s latest audit has them: Annual Examination, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (PDF).
Audits12
The latest: Annual Examination for the period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (PDF), released Tuesday, November 10, 2026, by a CPA firm.
The report has no Schedule of Findings Iowa Funnel could read.
9 earlier reports for Hubbard
- Annual Examination, period ending Monday, June 30, 2025Wednesday, December 10, 2025
- Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2024Tuesday, November 12, 2024
- Annual Examination, period ending Friday, June 30, 2023Tuesday, November 14, 2023
- Annual Examination, period ending Thursday, June 30, 2022Wednesday, October 12, 2022
- Annual Examination, period ending Wednesday, June 30, 2021Wednesday, October 13, 2021
- Annual Examination, period ending Tuesday, June 30, 2020Monday, November 16, 2020
- Annual Examination, period ending Sunday, June 30, 2019Tuesday, November 19, 2019
- Annual Examination, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2018Monday, December 3, 2018
- Financial Statement, period ending Saturday, June 30, 2012Monday, December 17, 2012
State money
What the State of Iowa pays the city each year, and whether it has kept up with prices. Does state money keep pace? 13
What the state pays the city every year
Road Use Tax for streets, the commercial and industrial tax “backfill”, and ambulance reimbursement, paid every year by formula: $126,150 in FY25, up 9% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 13% less. Grants are below.
Show the numbers
| Source | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road Use Tax (streets) | $118,507 | $118,345 | $121,477 | $122,137 |
| Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”) | $1,177 | $5,619 | $25,519 | $4,013 |
Grants and project money
State grants and money for specific projects (roads, development, natural resources) vary with what the city applies for and wins, so they aren’t counted as the state’s regular support.
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $0 |
| FY20 | $0 |
| FY21 | $0 |
| FY22 | $0 |
| FY23 | $0 |
| FY24 | $0 |
| FY25 | $26,811 |
Show the numbers
| Year | Grants and projects |
|---|---|
| FY19 | $0 |
| FY20 | $0 |
| FY21 | $0 |
| FY22 | $0 |
| FY23 | $0 |
| FY24 | $0 |
| FY25 | $26,811 |
Has it kept up with prices?
Each source from FY19 to FY25, after inflation.
- Road Use Tax (streets)−11%$109,162 → $122,137, up 12% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 11% less
- Commercial and industrial tax replacement (“backfill”)−49%$6,280 → $4,013, down 36% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 49% less
Collected by the state for the city
The local option sales tax is a city tax voters approved; the state collects it with the state sales tax and sends it back. It isn’t state aid. It’s up 40% since FY19 while prices rose 25%, so it buys 12% more.
Federal grants, for comparison: $157,143 in FY25.
Business awards
Elections
Running for mayor and city council
Filing opens Monday, August 23, 2027: in 284 days.
For the Tuesday, November 2, 2027 election, candidates file Monday, August 23, 2027 to Thursday, September 16, 2027 with the county auditor (or the city clerk, if the auditor names the clerk to take them)14.
In a city that can hold a primary, filing runs Monday, August 9, 2027 to Thursday, August 26, 2027.
Most recent: November 4, 2025
City · 2
- Lance Below Unopposed59100.0%
Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Hubbard; official results are on each county auditor’s site.
Who has filed for Tuesday, November 2, 2027
Filing hasn’t opened. These seats are expected on the ballot.
- Hubbard City Council At-Large (3 seats)Now held by Tracey Rieks, Adan Reischauer, Mitchell Paxton
- Hubbard MayorNow held by Lance Below
Candidates as county auditors and civicAPI list them; a filing can take a few days to appear here15.
Past ballot measures
None found since 2022.
When a measure can be on the ballot
- Tuesday, March 2, 2027 · no bond or debt questions
- Tuesday, September 14, 2027 · no bond or debt questions
- Tuesday, November 2, 2027 · any question, including bonds
- Tuesday, March 7, 2028 · no bond or debt questions
Bonds and other borrowing can only go on the November ballot16.
Related places
At the Statehouse and in Congress17
Annette Sweeney (Sen. 27)Joshua Meggers (Rep. 54)
U.S. House:District 2